Sugar-beet harvester.



SUGAR BEET' HAR-VESTER.

(Application flied Apr. 18, 1900.)

(No Model.)

5 O k L ll g 32 I B Q I 1 I WITNESSES.\ 1

. l; v INVENTOR flttorney LITHO. wuuma'rou a c Patented Oct. l6, I900.I. F. TUCKER. v

Nirnn ATENT Orricn.

IRETT F. TUCKER, OF SUMNER, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD L.ALVORD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 659,773, dated October16, 1900.

Application filed April 13, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRETT F. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sumner, county of Gratiot, State of Michigan, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Sugar-Beet Harvesters; and Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object a sugarbeet harvester; and it consistsof the structure, combination, and arrangement of deviceshereinafterdescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of the machine in side elevation.Fig. 2 is a view of the same in plan. Fig. 3 is a partial view in rearelevation and vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a sugar-beet harvester ofsuperior utility and efficiency whereby the beets may be partiallylifted from the 'soil and the tops severed therefrom, the beets beingleft partially lifted from the ground and in condition where they may bereadily gathered.

I carry out my invention as follows:

Any suitable frame is indicated at a. A is a rear axle journaled uponsaid frame, pro vided with wheels B B. The rear axle is provided withsuitable driving gear, two sprocket-gears being shown, (indicated at aand a Journaled in the frame is a shaft 0, provided with a gear drivenfrom the axle A. In the instance shown said shaft is provided with asprocket gear 0, belted with the sprocket-gear a by a belt 0.

D indicates a transverse shaft journaled upon the frame, provided with asprocketwheel d, connected with the sprocket-Wheels a as by a chain d.

E is a rotatable cutter driven from the shaft 0, said cutter beingengaged upon a rotatable shaft E, provided with a gear 6, meshing with agear 0 upon the shaft 0.

F is a cutter upturned at its extremities, the upturned extremitiesbeing pivotally supported or fulcrumed upon arcs G, as indi-.cutter-blade, as indicated in Fig. 1.

Serial No. 12,719. (No model.)

cated at f, permitting said cutter to swing on said fulcrum on the arcof a circle When it is desired to raise and lower the same, the blade ofthe cutter extending transversely underneath the frame and from side toside thereof. The arcs G are made adjustable in the frame in anysuitable manner. To this end one extremity of the arcs may be providedwith a series of bolt-orifices, (indicated at 9,) through which it maybe bolted to the frame, as indicated at g. In this manner the blade ofthe cutter may be tilted or lifted entirely from the ground, if desired,the lifted position being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. To thisend the upturned arms of the blade (indicated at F F may be united, asindicated at F, and an operating-rod H be connected therewith, asindicated at h, said rod being led backward to an operatinglever I,fulcrumed to a suitable portion of the frame, as indicated at 11, and bywhich the cutter F may be oscillated. When it is desired to transportthe machine or to turn it about at the ends of a row, the cutter maythus be readily lifted, while the cutting edge also may be tilted to anydesired angle to cause the cutter to enter the sod. Normally the bladeis inclined toward its cutting edge, as indicated in Fig. l. Thecutting-blade is preferably made thin, so as to pass readily through thesoil at the desired depth. The rear edge of the blade being made alittle higher than the front edge will lift the soil proportionately,and the beets may be severed at their lower ends by the It is expectedthat the cutting edge of the cutter would sever the lower end of thebeets, the soil thereabove being loosened at the same time, so that whenthe operation is complete the beets may readily be removed from thesoil. The blade of the cutter extending transversely across the framewill have a cutting edge of sufficient length to pass under a rowofbeets and sever them at their lower ends and loosen the soil under andabout the row. Attached to the arms F F of the cutter are forks J and J,their forward ends diverging chain.

gaged with said arms of the cutter in any' suitable manner, asindicated, for example, at j andj. In this manner when the cutter islifted or tilted the forks are lifted or tilted therewith. The forks aredesigned to straddle the topsof a row of beets and converging toward therear thereof bring the tops of the row of beets together. To the rear ofthe forks are located a couple of rollers, (indicated at K and K.) Theserollers are preferably made of conical form at their front extremities,thereby providing a converging opening between the forwardextremities,in to which the tops of the beets are led from theconverging forks already described. One of said rollers, as the rollerK, may be driven by any suitable mechanism, while the other roller maysimply be driven by friction. To this end the shaft 7c of the roller Kmay be provided with a gear 76, meshing with a gear 1 upon a shaft L,provided with a gear l, meshing with a gear Z upon the shaft D. Theshaft of the roller K may be journaled in the frame in any suitablemanner, as also the shaft of the roller K. I prefer, however, to journalthe shaft of the roller K upon oscillatory arms M, said arms having afulcrumed engagement upon a suitable bracket or other portion of theframe, as indicated at m, spring m restoring said arms M to normalposition.

N isa sprocket-chain passing over sprocketwheels N and N saidsprocket-wheels being journaled in suitable portions of the frame a. Thesprocket mechanism may be actuated in any suitable manner. For example,the shaft D may be provided with a gear P, meshing with a gear Q upon ashaft q, carrying the sprocket-wheel N The sprocket-chain N is providedwith a series of arms N The shafts of the sprocket-wheels are journaledin a plate R, which extends underneath the The plate R forms a supportagainst which the beets may be held in the operation of the knife E tosever the tops thereof.

At the front of the frame a are Wheels S, the axle of which is providedwith an upwardly-projecting bolt S, turning With-the axle. Upon saidbolt is a clevis or similar device S swinging with the bolt S, saidclevis being connected to a draw-bar or coupling T to engage upon theframe a, as by a chain T", the connection of the clevis with thedraw-bar being a flexible connection. Upon the axle of the wheels S aresecured brackets U, supporting a tongue V. To the under side of thetongue is fulcrumed a bellcrank lever W, one arm W of which is connectedwith the draw-bar T, said draw-bar being preferably constructed with ahookt and the arm W with a hook w, the two hooks being united by a linkt. With the opposite arm W of the bell-crank is connected anoperating-rod fulcrumed to an'operatinglever Y. By means of said lever Yand the bellcrank W, connected with the draw-bar T, it,

is evident that the forward ends of the frame may be raised or lowered,as may be desired.

The lever I is provided with pawl mechanism 1' to engage a rack-bar IThe operation of the mechanism above described is as follows: The cutterF is adj usted to enter the soil a desired depth. As the machineadvances, the beets are out off in the ground toward their lower endsand slightly lifted by the inclination of the blade of the cutter, ashereinbefore described. The forks J J direct the tops of the beetstoward the forward ends of the rollers K K, the tops being guided inbetween said rollers. To prevent the tops of the beets being drawnforward as the tops are caught by the rollers K K and being at oncepulled out of the ground, the sprocket-chain N is provided with arms NSaid chain revolves under ,the roller-K in the direction indicated bythe arrow. It will be evident that as the machine itself is advancingthis movement of the sprocketchain will force the arms N in front of thetops of the beets, causing the tops to be engaged between the rolls.These rolls, as will be seen in Fig. 1, are inclined upward toward theirrear ends As the tops of the beets are engaged between the rolls and arecarried back therebetween the beets will be gradually lifted,corresponding to the incline of the rollers, until the tops have beencarried back to the rear extremities of the rolls, at which point therota ry cutter E severs the tops from the beets, letting the beets standout of the ground a desired distance, the ground, as already described,being loosened about the beets by the cutter and the lower end of thebeets being severed, so that the beets after being cut at both ends mayreadily be removed. The flexible connection T of the frame with thefront Wheels S allows the frame to swing laterally as may be desired.

Between the forward and rear ends of the frame the frame is preferablyprovided with trucks (indicated at Z') to support the forward end of theframe at a desired height, the said trucks having an adjustableengagement with the frame, as upon supportingbrackets, (indicated at Z,)which may be provided with a series of perforations, whereby the trucksZ may be adjusted to any desired height. In case the front wheels Sshould drop into a hole, as into a dead furrow, the trucks Z willprevent the forward ends of the rollers plunging into he ground.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a beet-harvester, the combinationwith a supporting-frame, of a cutter to enter the soil and out the rootsextending transversely from side to side of the frame, means to swingsaid cutter upward and downward on the are of a circle, and means to therear of said cutter to sever the tops of the beets.

2. In a. beet-harvester, the combination with a frame, of a cutter toenter the soil and cut the roots extending transversely from side toside of the frame, means to swing said cutter upward and downward,converging forks movable with said cutter, and means to the rear of saidcutter to sever the tops of the beets.

3. In a beet harvester, the combination with a frame, of a cutter toenter the soil and cut the roots extending transversely from side toside of the frame, means to swing said cutter upward and downward, andmeans to the rear of said cutter to sever the tops of the beets, saidcutter being vertically adjustable.

4. In a beet-harvester, the combination with a frame, of a cutter toenter the soil and cut the roots, said cutter provided with up-Wardly-projecting arms, means connected with said arms to swing saidcutter upward and downward, and means to the rear of said cutter tosever the tops of the beets.

5. In a beet-harvester, the combination with a frame, of a cutter,rotatable rollers to the rear of the cutter, and converging forks todirect the tops of the beets between said rolls.

6. In a beet-harvester, the combination with a frame, of a cutter,rotatable rolls, means to direct the tops of the beets between saidrolls and means to prevent the tops of the beets being drawnforward asthe rolls advance.

7. In a beet-harvester, the combination with aframe, of a cutter, rollsto engage the tops of the beets therebetween,and a sprocketchainrotatable adjacent to said rolls, said chain provided with projectingarms.

8. In a beet-harvester,the combination with a cutter, rotatable rolls tothe rear of the cutter inclined upward toward their rearextremities, andan additional cutter adjacent to the rear extremities of said rolls.

9. In abeet-harvester,the combination with a frame, of a cutter to enterthe soil, rotatable rolls to the rear of said cutter arranged to engageand lift the tops of the beets, a rotatable cutter toward the rearextremities of said rolls, means to prevent the tops of the beets beingdrawn forward when engaged by the rolls, and means to rotate one of saidrolls.

10. In a beet-harvester, the combination with a frame, of a cutter tosever the beets in the ground, means to partially lift the beets out ofthe ground, and mechanism to sever the tops of the beets when the beetsare partially lifted from the ground.

11. In a beet-harvester, the combination with aframe, trucks to supportthe forward end of the frame, wheels at the front of the frame having aflexible connection therewith, Wheels supporting the rear end of theframe, a cutter to enter the soil having an oscillatory engagement withthe frame, mechanism to grasp the tops of the beets and lift the beetspartially from the ground,mechanism to sever the tops of the beets whenlifted from the ground, and means driven from the axle of the rearwheels to operate said mechanisms.

12. In a beet-harvester, the combination with a frame, a transversecutter to enter the soil, rotatable rolls to the rear of the cutter tograsp the tops of the beets and lift the beets partially from the soil,means to direct the tops of the beets between said rolls, and means tosever the tops of the beets when partially lifted from the soil.

13. In a beet-harvester, the combination with a frame, of a cutterextending transversely from side to side of the frame to enter the soil,and provided with an inclined blade having a forward cutting edge, meansto remove said cutter from the soil, and an addi tional cutter to severthe tops of the beets.

14. In a beet-harvester, the combination with a cutter to enter thesoil, of rotatable rolls to engage the tops of the beets, said rollsinclined upward toward their rear ends, and an additional cutter tosever the tops of the beets.

15. In a beet-harvester, the combination with a frame provided with acutter extendin g transversely from side to side of the frame to enterthe soil, of the rotatable rolls to the rear of said cutter to engagethe tops of the beets, said rolls inclined upward towardtheir rear ends,and means to direct the tops of the beets between said rolls.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

IRETT F. TUCKER.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, M. HIoKEY.

